For the Triumph of Goodness, Truth, and America

A Single Mortal Sin

A single mortal sin cast Lucifer from the heights of heaven to the depths of hell. A single mortal sin drove our first parents from a delightful paradise of everlasting life to a miserable world of slow death. A single mortal sin takes from man the ability to enjoy eternal happiness and condemns him to eternal misery.

Such is the justice of God. Is it harsh? No. God’s perfect justice is perfectly just. He punishes or rewards exactly as the individual deserves. He is the perfect Judge.

If, then, God punishes so severely a single mortal sin, how terrible an offence it must be! Too often does man view this matter in exactly the wrong manner when he assumes God’s justice too severe. What man should do instead is consider well the enormity of this crime.

If God is infinite justice, His punishments are perfectly fitting. If a single mortal sin merits the worst punishment (eternal damnation), it must be the worst evil of which mankind is capable.

Let the president complain about the media, the pundits complain about the taxes, the commentators complain about the debt, the people complain about the crime, and the white-robed man in the Vatican complain about capitalism. They are all wrong, because the real evil facing our nation–and all of mankind–is the evil of mortal sin.